When I first walk into Tommy's Dutch Lunch, a small greasy spoon down W. Pine St., it's immediately obvious that the restaurant is a place full of stories. The decor is straight out of the 1970s and the walls are littered with paintings and a Union Bulletin profile from a few years ago. It's also immediately obvious that Tommy's — as it's affectionately called — is a place full of love.

I think sometimes the pancake is the unsung hero of breakfast. As ubiquitous as the greasy spoon, to non-dairy creamer and weak coffee, I think many people bypass the short stack of buttermilk flapjacks in lieu of her fancier cousins, French toast and Belgian waffles.